Aston Martin DP212
| Aston Martin DP 212 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Aston Martin Limited |
| Production | 1962 (1 produced) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Grand tourer |
| Body style | 2-door Coupe |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Aston Martin DP215 / Aston Martin DB4 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3995 cc Tadek Marek I6 |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Aston Martin DP214 |
The Aston Martin DP212 was a prototype sports car developed by Aston Martin for use in the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The car was built on the chassis of a DB4GT, but featured longer bodywork specifically designed to handle the high speeds of Le Mans. It also featured a 4.0 litre Inline-6, based on the DB4GT's 3.7 litre Tadek Marek unit. Following its participation at Le Mans, the car was slightly modified to feature a Kamm tail design, which would later be used on the Aston Martin DB6.
Racing History
At Le Mans in 1962, at the hands of Graham Hill and Richie Ginther the DP212 showed great speed, holding 2nd place, yet proved unreliable against the competition. The car was forced to drop out in the sixth hour with mechanical difficulty. The car however, was having high-end stability problems and could not cope with the high speeds at Le Mans.
After some development the car would return once more, in testing for the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans, featuring its new Kamm tail, which had been developed to cope with the high speeds, but the car would not race. Its place would be taken by the newer DP214 and DP215, which effectively replaced DP212.
In 1964 DP212 was rebuilt and converted into a road car with registration 'AYN 212B'. The factory fitted the car with a 4,164 cc engine with 98 mm bore, giving 349 bhp at 6,000 rpm. After this the car was still used for competitive sprints, races and concours events.
Only a single DP212 would be built, and it is still in use today with the registration number '212DP'.
Specification
| Aston Martin DP212 (specification for the 1962 Le Mans) | |
|---|---|
| Wheel Base | 7ft 10" |
| Overall length | 14 ft 6" |
| Height | 4 ft 2" |
| Clearance | 5" |
| Width | 5 ft 6" |
| Track | 4 ft 6" |
| Quoted Dry Weight | 2,150 lb (975 kg) |
| Construction | Drilled Rectangular Box Section Chassis
Aluminium floor panels and Body panels made of 20 swg magnesium/aluminium alloy |
| Engine | Straight six, 3,995 cc |
| Max. Power | 330 bhp at 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 287 lbs/ft 5,300 rpm |
| Carburettors | Three 'Weber' 50 DCO |
| Compression | 9.6:1 |
| Gearbox | David Brown S532 5 Speed gearbox in magnesium alloy casting, with a 3.27 final drive (2.91 in 5th)
7.5" Borg and Beck three plate clutch |
| Brakes | 12" Girling discs at the front and 11.7" at the back |
| Front Suspension | Double wishbones and coil springs |
| Rear Suspension | De Dion system,
Torsion bar springing Trailing arms and Watt linkage |
| Tyres | 6L/6.5L x 16 with R5 and R6 'Dunlop' Tyres up to 7.00 x 16 R5's on the rear. |
External links
- AstonMartins.com - DP212